1. Technical Field
The present application relates generally to the operation of a computing device and particularly to a display of information and the input of data to a communications device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of communication devices, and in particular mobile communication devices, has extended to allow a user to receive voice calls and to send and receive electronic communications, which may include e-mail, short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS) and video messaging service (VMS) messages, as well as other forms of messages. This messaging is typically provided in one or more modules which are executable within a processor of the device and which are individually accessible by a user on demand.
With the increase in processing capacity of these devices, more and more functionality is provided within the device and is available to a user. For example, it is known to provide devices with calendar functionality whereby a user can enter and store calendar data within the device. This calendar data may be accessed directly on the device and can be input directly on the device. It can also be entered in a second computing device—for example a personal computer—and then relayed for subsequent storage on the device. While the storage of such information in a portable device is very useful there are associated problems related to the dimensions of these devices. While display screen sizes have increased, they are still relatively small compared to conventional computing displays. With a limited footprint there are difficulties in how to enable a user to access the information that is stored within the device. Typically, a user needs to switch between distinct modules to access different functionality or data within the device. As a result of the limited display footprint on the device, the switching between modules typically effects a replacement of information from a displayed module with information from the new module.
For example when scheduling a meeting or other time based event, in order to ensure that the intended meeting does not conflict with an already scheduled event, a user needs to access their calendar to confirm availability based on pre-stored events. This accessing of the calendar module effects a display on the display of the device of calendar information. The user then needs to switch to a separate scheduling module to enter details of the new meeting. This effects a replacement of the calendar information on the display with the information specific to the schedule module. As a result the calendar information is lost and the user needs to rely on memory when determining an appropriate time slot.